Lake Lanier Fishing Has Taken A Turn For The Better!"

By Eric Aldrich
For The Times
POSTED March 11, 2010 7:43 p.m.

Lake Lanier is slightly below full pool at around 1,070.5 feet (full pool is 1,071 feet).

Lake temperatures are in the mid 40’s and the main lake is stained. The rivers and creeks are also stained to muddy from the recent rains.

The Chattahoochee River is clear to stain. Check generation schedules before heading out to the river at 770-945-1466.

Bass fishing has taken a turn for the better as we had a recent warm spell.

The spotted and largemouth bass will hit jerk baits like a SPRO McStick and rattle traps or Aruku Shads on warmer days worked around main lake points and pockets.

You will need to locate the warmest water possible and target areas where baitfish and bass appear on your electronics.

Skipping docks located in the mouths of spawning pockets with jigs and finesse worms is starting to work but this method will continue to get much better as spring approaches.

These bass are fat and healthy because there has been a huge amount of shad available.

Better fishing is very close to occurring so test different methods and try to find other patterns that will work for you.

Check in with Hammond’s Fishing Center for up-to-date reports on all species of fish

This week’s striper report comes from Shane Watson and Hammond’s Fishing Center.

Watson reports that since my last report, the surface temps have begun to rise on Lake Lanier and the bigger stripers are moving up shallow.

We have been catching 15- to 25-pound stripers, up in 5- to 10-feet of water on big free-lined bluebacks and on jigs.

We have also hooked a couple of really big fish this week for our customers, one we never stopped and one that pulled out about 150 yards of line, got up under a dock and we could not get it out of a Christmas tree.

I could see this fish well and it was at least 40 pounds. We tried to pull up the tree and get the fish, but it broke off and swam away. It always amazes me how far a 40-pound-plus fish can run.

There are fish in the rear of most creeks with stained water and up both rivers.

Over the next six weeks or so, more and more big stripers will be moving up shallow. This report is brought to you by Shane Watson Guide Service www.lakelanierstripers.com and Hammond’s Fishing Center.

Crappie fishing has been good and the slabs continue to bite jigs shot under docks and trolled out around areas that have brush and stumps around flats that have warmer stained water.

Keith Pace continues to shoot micro spoons up around docks and also has been doing well long-line trolling in the same areas mentioned above.

Trout are biting in the rivers and up in the mountain creeks.

When the water gets muddy the action will slow but they have been biting well in the clear water.

Live red wigglers are producing trout because the recent rains have washed a lot of worms into the creeks and rivers.

Check local regulations and use Rooster Tails and Rapalas instead in the areas designated artificial only.

Eric Aldrich is a part-time outdoors writer, bass fisherman and a member of Humminbird’s, SPRO, Gamakatsu, Hammond’s Fishing Center and Denali Pro Staff. Reports are based on personal experience and permission from a close network of friends. If you would like to email him please do so at esaldrich@yahoo.com. Remember to take a kid fishing.

Contents of this site are from The Times, Gainesville, GA.